Mame setup for windows

[akafox]

http://www.mamedev.com/roms/)

To begin:

You'll need to open a command line prompt:
Press Windows key+R key. A run dialog will pop up. Now type

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cmd
Once there type:
 

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cd C:\ then press enter.

Now, type:
 

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cd C:\mame press enter.

Last type:

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mame -cc press enter

This will create a mame.ini file in the folder that you are in. (You can always run the mame -cc command again and have a new mame.ini if you mess it up real badly.)

Now open that file with notepad: 

Your mame.ini will look something like this:

#
# CORE CONFIGURATION OPTIONS
#
readconfig                1
writeconfig               0

#
# CORE SEARCH PATH OPTIONS
#
rompath                  <-here  (ex. C:\mame\roms)
hashpath                 
samplepath     
artpath                 
ctrlrpath                 
inipath                   
fontpath                 
cheatpath                 
crosshairpath           

   The rompath is the only thing we are worried about right now. You can erase the entire line up to but not including the word rompath. Then type your path to your roms:

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C:\mame\roms
Now save the changes now type in your terminal mame and start mame by typing mame.exe and press enter. You should see a blue box with a list of games you have. You can press enter to start a game or press esc to quit.

   Your mame now works! You can start MAME from a command line to directly run a game by typing (as an example):

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mame carpolo
 in a command prompt will start carpolo without the gamelist (which is how front ends like attract mode work).

Rom problems:
   First never unzip a rom unless you know what you are doing! MAME can not load an unzipped rom. Roms can be gotten singly or in "update" packs. You need to have all the needed files in the zip and all the needed zip files. Example: you have galaga.zip but there are other files it needs (.zip) to start. Why not just put them all together? Well you can and mame will be happy and load fine. However, some of these files are in other namco games (e.x. mappy, rally X, ect.) so now you have them twice or more and it's a "waste of space". Load MAME from a terminal and MAME will spit out any errors of missing files and tell you the extra roms you need. (For more go here on that: http://www.xente.mundo-r.com/mame/Update286.html pdf version here http://www.xente.mundo-r.com/mame/pdf/Update286.pdfhttp://replay.marpirc.net/ (used for submitting high scores)
mameplus   http://sourceforge.net/projects/mameplus/files/releases/ (mame that has graphical enhancements)
hbmame   http://messui.1emulation.com/index.html (used to run home brew mame roms)

             GUI mames:

MAMEXT   http://www.emulab.it/p_emulators.php
mameui   http://www.progettosnaps.net/mameui/
mameuifx   http://mame32fx.altervista.org/home.htm

help to set up a gui mame is here:
http://easyemu.mameworld.info/mameguide/mameguide-installUI.html

[omegaman]

Is there a good reason why people want to use these other flavors of mame? I just don't understand it. With a little effort you can compile and patch original mame to remove nag screens, the white box, add high score, add auto-fire and much more . And, if you don't like compiling you can find compiled versions that have already been patched.  Excluding, groovymame which does have a specific purpose for crt monitors and that is not even really needed anymore. Just curious of other enthusiast opinions on this. 

[akafox]

Well mostly they are the same. However, they do add some features that the regular mame does not. Most of th gui based mames add a lot of information in the gui itself. You can display history, the command moves for fighting games, picture of the arcade cabinets and game snapshots for example. MAME plus is command line based, however is has a separate gui if you choose to use it. (It is a separate program.)  It does have one main feature, graphical enhancements. (It uses shaders much like kega fusion or snes9x does.)

 There is a version on mame called advance mame that is made for acrade monitors and graphics cards so the is will look like the arcade originally did, it is outdated however.

The gui can make it easier for new users to set things up. Most people are used to click and pointing. It keeps them from having to use the command line which might be intimidating.

I use mameuifx because it has ways to make test lists so I can make scripts to clean out my mame set easily and quickly.  I used to use mame plus in my windows cab just so I could use the graphical enhancements if I felt like it. it also displayed the list of moves for the fighting games from the menu after you paused it.  My want to use linux in my cab just made me move back to regular mame.

If you are going to build an arcade cabinet with a front end like attract mode you are absolutely right omegaman. There really is no reason to use them. They are just there so that people know they are there.

[checkist]

I have used Mameplus! for several years.

There "were" several advantages using Mameplus! over standard MAME, but many of the advantages have diminished over years....

Advantages (still effective)
#1. Image enhancement filters like HQx, xBRZ filters
#2. Command.dat support (In-game display of fighting game moves)
#3. Removing nag screen



Advantages (now obsolete)
#1. It came with separate GUI called M+GUI, which was much faster than MAME with integrated GUI.
-> But not faster than attract-mode. 

#2. It combined MAME/MESS with single executable (long before devs permitted this)
-> Now it is officially combined by standard MAME...

#3. Sometimes, controversal ROMs are dropped by mainstream MAME, due to various reasons. (For example, Cave SH3 driver). But derivative builds, including Mameplus! tends to ignore such decisions...
-> But the Cave SH3 driver is back to mainstream MAME again, so it doesn't matter again..



...lastly, I'd like to mention that many derivative MAME builds do not describe their difference to the mainstream MAMEs. (What is Ash-build, anyway?). It would be really helpful to have feature-comparison summary on derivative builds.

[akafox]

Thank you for your info there checkist. Yes that is a good idea to make a comparison list. I might do that one day. The builds from command line to gui are obvious. Others not so. I have used and seen MAMEXT..as far s a I can see they are a lot alike..I would dare say almost the same.

I was using the ash-biuld ..or at least I tried..it ran very slow and poorly on my system..where as mame plus! the "standard" version ran fine.

I have looked into HBMame recently. The home brew scene has turned out some good things..and some hacks are fun to play even if they are not "official'.

[jedione]

my opinion is to get a full updated set for "ash mame" and be done
find out what works and be content...   your box & gfxc card will be the remainder

i have spent many moons,,and to no a vale,,"Mame is great,,but is a tap out for till  2020 
were at a stalemate..in my opinion!

[chrisvg]

Just to add to this, GroovyMAME is an excellent fork of MAME that is designed primarily for use on arcade cabinets with CRT monitors. Combined with the custom "CRT_Emudriver" video driver releases for older ATI Radeon cards, you can get MAME running at native video modes and refresh rates that the actual arcade boards used.

This might seem a bit nitpicky, but if you're going to the effort of using an arcade cabinet with a CRT to get that "authentic" feel, why not go as far as you can. For example, it's nice to be able to play R-Type at 55hz and have the music play at the correct pitch

You can find out more info about GroovyMAME on the Arcade Control forums.  CRT_Emudriver can be found at this thread on Calamity's forums.

[akafox]

Is there a good reason why people want to use these other flavors of mame? I just don't understand it.

I agree with you. I think though it just comes down to they take the time to build a mamecab...and because it is theirs they want to make it more personalized. That or need. Some people may only want fighting games..so they have no trackball. Each mame build has it's pros and cons.

I have been using advance mame for some weeks now. It is made to be used on arcade and TV monitors (and lcds) but it runs an old mame set (thus it's hard to get working because it's hard to find old rom sets) and no cps3 support (though he's working on that one). On my gaming rig however I run patched stock mame...and not even the newest version.

Again it just comes down to need or want. But if it were not for "stock mame" the other builds would not exist...

Here are the still active mame builds I could find..(as of 7, Dec 2015..well some might be behind..I haven't updated my list) I am not responsible for the contents of the links or builds!

mameuifx             http://mame32fx.altervista.org/home.htm      
wolfmame     http://replay.marpirc.net/
mameui             http://www.mameui.info/
mameplus          http://www.progettosnaps.net/mameplus/
SDLmame     http://sdlmame.wallyweek.org/
ashmame             http://www.ashura.altervista.org/
MAMEXT             http://www.emulab.it/p_emulators.php
messui             http://hbmame.1emulation.com/index.html
mameui             http://www.progettosnaps.net/mameui/      
mame             http://mamedev.org/release.html
hbmame             http://messui.1emulation.com/index.html   
mewui             http://sourceforge.net/projects/mewui/files/releases/
advance mame  http://www.advancemame.it/      
Thunder mame   http://www.geocities.co.jp/SiliconValley-Sunnyvale/8595/      
UXME               https://build.zaplabs.com/project/uxme/      
hqmame              http://sourceforge.net/projects/xbrz/?source=navbar      
csmame              http://www.mamehub.com/

Just to add to this, GroovyMAME is an excellent fork of MAME that is designed primarily for use on arcade cabinets with CRT monitors.

They have their "own version" of mame? I thought it was plain mame just crammed into an "linux arcade" distro....

[chrisvg]

They have their "own version" of mame? I thought it was plain mame just crammed into an "linux arcade" distro....

You're thinking of GroovyArcade, which is a Linux distro with GroovyMAME and other programs for use on an arcade cabinet.

GroovyMAME itself is simply a custom build of MAME with additional code called "SwitchRes" which replaces the default code in MAME for handling video resolutions.  It is in active development (new builds and added features are generally released within hours of the MameDev team's releases on the last Wednesday of each month).

For the best results with GroovyMAME, you will want to be using "CRT_EmuDriver", which is a "hacked" ATI Radeon video driver that includes support for outputting  suitable video signal to a 15/24/31 Hz arcade monitor.  It is similar in principal to how the ArcadeVGA cards from Ultimarc work, but with support for a much wider range of video modes and refresh rates.  Just note that this video driver is currently limited to working with older Radeon cards (up to HD 4890), and only for Windows XP (32/64bit) or 7 (64bit).

Calamity is currently working on supporting newer versions of Windows (8 and 10) and newer video cards.  He has had some success, there are just a few more hurdles to deal with before releasing something for people to try in the coming months.

[akafox]

Well old and windows XP is what i have..and I picked up and old crt TV for $5 so when ever i can get a vga to y/w/r out (RCA) i'll be set. thanks!

going to check that out.

[Zabuza_Zen]

When I get to the command line "mame -cc" it says 'mame' is not recognized as an internal or external command,
operable program or batch file. Can I make the fine without using cmd?

[scooter1974]

Make sure you are in the same directory as your mame.exe file.